de ‧ fen ‧ dant /dɪˈfendənt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : DEFENCE/DEFENSE , ↑ defendant , ↑ defender , ↑ defensiveness ; adjective : DEFENCELESS/DEFENSELESS , ↑ defensible ≠ ↑ indefensible , ↑ defensive ; adverb : ↑ defensibly ≠ ↑ indefensibly , ↑ defensively ; verb : ↑ defend ]
the person in a court of law who has been ↑ accused of doing something illegal ⇨ plaintiff SYN prisoner American English :
We find the defendant not guilty.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ In a court
▪ defendant the person who is on trial for a crime
▪ the defence British English , the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendant
▪ the prosecution the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty
▪ judge the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punished
▪ jury a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
▪ witness someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crime
▪ testimony a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or action
▪ verdict the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty